Highway To Hell
November 20, 2008: The army has six divisions fighting in the north against the LTTE. In the west, the 58th divisions advances along the coast. Next to it, inland and advancing on the LTTE capital of Kilinochchi, is the 57th division. Two Task Forces from the 58th division, are to the right of the 57th, covering large areas of front. Coming up from the south, in the center of the island, is the 56th division. On the east coast is the 59th division. In the Jaffna peninsula, which is cut off from the rest of the island by LTTE territory, are the 53rd and 55th divisions. The 57th and 58th divisions have made the greatest gains this year, liberating nearly half (the western half) of LTTE held territory in the north.
The LTTE runs a highly organized police state in the territory it still controls in the north. The LTTE decides who works for the NGOs, and these aid organizations are persuaded, or coerced, to do what the LTTE wants. The families of those who get NGO jobs via the LTTE, are obliged to provide one or more teenage or adult men or women for the LTTE combat units, and these 'volunteers' are expected to be diligent soldiers, or else their families will suffer. These families also provide most of the suicide bombers.
Unable to stop the army advance, the LTTE is trying to manipulate public opinion in India, and throughout the world, to get the Sri Lankan government to accept a ceasefire. They do this by stressing the suffering of Tamil civilians living in territory controlled by the LTTE. These civilians are basically hostages, with the LTTE threatening to kill anyone who tries to flee to government territory. LTTE fighters at the front line have orders to keep the army out, and Tamil civilians in. While many of the civilians are all for more Tamil autonomy in Sri Lanka, they also find themselves trapped by the LTTE and its determination to fight to the end. To make that happen, all adult Tamils are now subject to involuntary military service. Most of these fighters barely know how to operate their weapons, but the LTTE has found a way to make them useful even if they are killed. If some of these fighters are hit by an air strike or artillery, their weapons are taken away, and pictures taken to show 'civilians killed by Sri Lankan military.' The LTTE also puts many military facilities in residential areas. So if the place get hit with artillery or air power, there will likely be civilian casualties that can be used to try and change Indian, and world, opinion against the Sri Lankans. The LTTE wants a ceasefire badly, but the government is demanding that the LTTE surrender its weapons before that happens. |
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20 Nov 2008 11:32:35 GMT 
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